reciprocity

All posts tagged reciprocity

Life is full of metaphors, with life itself at times metaphorically being compared to a river, go with the flow is one example, sold down the river, and swimming upstream are others.

There is an unmistakable flow to life just as there is in rivers, and like rivers there can be obstacles – it can be peaceful or turbulent, wisdom lies in recognition of the vagaries and a willingness to deal with them.

Failing to and a person can literally be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

In fast moving water wisdom is not attempting to swim in a straight line from one side to the other as the current will carry you past your intended destination, so you swim at an angle upstream, and allow the current to carry you where intended.

I think it’s the same in life at times, the most direct course doesn’t always work, and when it doesn’t or the perception is it won’t, then compromise often will.

Compromise can have negative connotations, an example would be a person surrendering their values to achieve or avoid something, but it can also seek to focus on what is mutually beneficial as in relationships.

I think too often we fail to be childlike, and by that I don’t mean childish or immature, more of a willingness to be open and receptive as a child can be.

Maybe because we carry too many wounds, had one too many painful experiences, got knocked down and didn’t get up when we should have opting instead to just go with the flow having no clear destination in mind wanting only to weather the storm.

But like a river we watch flowing by so too can these things if we don’t construct dams to retain them.

Life is for living and we ought to live it that way with passion – it’s been said we should “dance like no one is watching”, but even if we are being watched dance like you mean it, and live your life the same way.

Live it as a free thinking person, sovereign in mind if not body – live it with an understanding that no man or woman is an island, that a butterfly effect exists, and from the moment we are born we all share one common destination regardless of station in life, that the river begins and ends at a specific point .

I’ve heard people say they are owed something, that life owes them, but I’ve yet to hear a person say they owe life as though a reciprocity doesn’t exist.

Lacking this understanding and life becomes a half empty cup as it can never be enough to only take and not give in return.

We all have the ability to offer something positive, it becomes a matter of choice – better to resist what is wrong which ultimately is a positive effort, and better to facilitate what is right.

What you have or don’t have, what you wear or don’twear has become a standard to define a person.

People by and large get caught up in that – and while these things may influence the opinion of others or even oneself the only definition of substance is to be found in who you are and the things you do.